Document text
Machine-read from the scan, so expect some errors. Lines that couldn’t be read are left out.
Page 1
BEST COPY AVAILABLE My 5, 1966 Thyroid Dimesoe in the Marshelleae Exposed to ?’allmt In the lest hformtion reported on this subject, October 20, 1965, it WUB noted that a cumlative total of 11 instances of nodular thyroid glmda had been found in the 69 aurvivin.gMsrshalleae who had been exposed to fallout frm the Bfklnl Test of March 1, 1954, while OKIRongelap and Allfngnae. All but one of these cases were in young people &%o were less thsn 10 years old at the tfme of “ the incident. Zhe single exception wag in a bl-year at the time of the exp~sure) who was found to have a gland when she was operated m. Laboratory, and le<der of the annual, or me often, carcinoma of the thyroid rsedicalsurveys of these people, has just returned from the latest survey of February-March 1966. He reports that an additional five cases of nodular thyroids have been dfagncsed in this group. The present cumulative incfdence is Age at Ekxmber shown in the table. Total Inctdence of Nodules ?ffty-five of the 69 persona were on Eongebp Island end received eetfmated vI&#&, y doses of l/75roentgens (R) plus poss ble doses of 700 to 1.4oo em to
Page 2
- nearby island, and recaived whole body exposures egtlmated at 69 R plus less certain, but probably of age) who were tith three adults shwn in smaller thyroid domes. Xone of the six children (1-10 years the ~oup on AiMngnne h-t shown nodules, but one of the the table as having nodules V*S on Ailfrigrme. The only instance of cancer of the thyroid wee seen in a Rongelap woman who vas approximately 30 years of age when expo8ed. The nodular condition seen in the young people Ls not a cancerous process, although cencers of the thyroid often grow in nodular fashion. In August 196S nearly 811 of these people were placed on a synthetic thyroid hormone, tetraidothyronfne, on the basis that such therapy would modify the incidence and/or course of the.nodular procem. It appears to have been psrtislly effective but it is still tmsoon to be definite. Forty childrem of the same age grouping vbo were on Utirik Island end received ~%ole body ply proportionately smaller th~oid exposures also were examined. - showed no signs of thyroid nodules or thyroid disease. Xn addlticm, 194 Marshalleue now living on these islands were examfned; three Instances of aodu~es vere found, all among people nmre than 47 years of ege. Five of the Marahallese with nodular thyroids till be brought to Brookhaven Xational Uboratory this month for fwtber dicgnontfc mtudy and possible surgery. One is a 46-year-old woman; “h mtkrs tire girls, agei 13, 130 13, md 20. They will be aecoxapanied by the &ngelap school tescher who will act as m interpreter. The treatment and trmml of these six persona has been developed with the cooperation of the Honorable UfLfred Coding, High Ccxmnlssioner} Trust Territory of the_PaclfLc Lalmds. Department of Energy